SB 534 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

RELATING TO THE HAWAII COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.

Summary

Clarifies the process by which the Hawaii Community Development Authority may approve residential development on certain parcels of Kakaako Makai. Raises the building height limit and the maximum floor area ratio on certain parcels in the area. Requires a certain percentage of the residential units developed on certain parcels to be allocated to households at or below a certain income level in perpetuity, with priority given to certain essential workforce in the area. Limits the sale of residential units developed in certain residential developments to prospective owner-occupants. Requires the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to determine a Kakaako Makai association fee to be collected from residents, tenants, and lessees of certain parcels to be deposited into a special account in the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Special Fund to fund various services and projects in the Kakaako Makai area. (SD1)

Issues: ✓ Housing

Sub-Topics: Community Development Property Development

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 17, 2025 Last action Feb 28, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

SB534_SD1 → SB534_SD2_PROPOSED · 7 edits

MODERATE

This bill amends Hawaii's Kakaako community development laws to allow the Office of Hawaiian Affairs to develop certain parcels for residential use, raising building height limits and requiring 51% of units to be affordable workforce housing for essential workers. It also establishes a special account funded by association fees to maintain the area and creates a working group to transfer district management from the Hawaii Community Development Authority to Honolulu by 2030.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of residential development authority from the Hawaii Community Development Authority to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs for specific Kakaako Makai parcels, while planning a future transfer of district management to the City and County of Honolulu.

REQUIREMENT

Building height limit increased to 400 feet and maximum floor area ratio raised to 10.0 for specific parcels owned by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs.

Limits sales of residential units to prospective owner-occupants only, preventing investment-only purchases.

Requires environmental assessments for noise, odor, aircraft-related nuisances, and sea level rise mitigation for new residential developments.

ELIGIBILITY

Requires 51% of residential units to be allocated to households at or below 140% of area median income, with priority given to essential workers within a five-mile radius of Kakaako Makai.

FISCAL

Establishes a Kakaako Makai special account funded by association fees collected from residents, tenants, and lessees to maintain infrastructure and services.

TIMELINE

Creates a working group to plan transfer of district management to Honolulu, with a five-year transition period ending July 1, 2030.

SCOPE

Repeals existing Kakaako district statutes and replaces them with new provisions focused on residential development rather than mixed-use industrial/commercial zoning.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 27, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC/WAM has scheduled a public hearing on 02-28-25 10:15AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference (Proposed Draft).

upper

Feb 21, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on JDC/WAM will hold a public decision making on 02-26-25 10:05AM; Conference Room 211 & Videoconference.

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Committee

Reported from WTL/HWN/HOU (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 616) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to JDC/WAM.

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HOU recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HOU were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Chang, Hashimoto, Kanuha, Fevella; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Aquino.

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HWN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HWN were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Richards, Keohokalole; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Ihara ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) DeCorte; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) San Buenaventura.

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WTL recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in WTL were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Inouye, Chang, McKelvey; Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Elefante ; 1 No(es): Senator(s) DeCorte; and 0 Excused: none.

upper

Jan 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on WTL/HWN/HOU has scheduled a public hearing on 01-29-25 1:00PM; Auditorium & Videoconference.

upper

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Referred to WTL/HWN/HOU, JDC/WAM.

upper

Jan 17, 2025

Introduced

Introduced.

upper

9 primary · 2 co-sponsors